Over time, you’ll probably see a lot of crazy and ridiculous Shohei Ohtani trade proposals. That’s just the way it works when a superstar like Ohtani could become available. But while a lot of those wild proposals involved players, one such proposal featured something that MLB teams straight up cannot do.
Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre joined forces on The Herd Thursday to deliver a… rather ridiculous proposal. Cowherd and McIntyre talked about a potential Ohtani trade that involved traded MLB Draft picks. They had an entire conversation about it on the show.
Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre have an entire conversation about trading draft picks for Shohei Ohtani… which you can't do in Major League Baseball. pic.twitter.com/nnCzKcUCkj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 21, 2023
There’s just one issue: MLB does not permit the trading of standard draft picks. Whether that’s a smart practice or not is irrelevant here. It’s not something the league has ever made permissible. You can trade compensatory draft picks, but those are outside of the first round. Their value is not nearly that of a standard pick in the first round.
So while the idea sounds fun in theory, it straight up can’t be executed. And when you do that and suggest something that the rulebook doesn’t permit, the reaction won’t be so kind.
A potential trade for Shohei Ohtani could occur before the August 1 deadline. It would take a lot for it to happen, though, and since he is a rental, a trade may also not occur so teams can sign him in the off-season without giving up anything.
Experts have unanimously agreed that a new contract for Ohtani might rank as the biggest MLB contract in history.
Dozens poured out to react to the ridiculous trade proposal. Many of the reactions had the exact same theme to them. Suffice it to say, not many people were happy about the discussion.
Not as bad but the fact that Jason McIntyre says “given how bad the Angels have been in the draft” as if LAA hasn’t had their first round picks in 2020, 2021, and 2022 already make their MLB debuts. https://t.co/Hnd0QAuhyY
— Greg Zumach (@IvyFutures) July 21, 2023
Saying "I'm a casual" is the understatement of the year on this… https://t.co/s5n9CxT6Df
— Ben Johannes (@thebenjosays) July 21, 2023
Sports shows have been just getting worse and worse year after year. Now get off my lawn. https://t.co/NZrmLYTVQu
— The OG Tommy Z (@tommyzografos) July 21, 2023
I mean, I do think trading any draft pick in MLB should be allowed
But c'mon. At least do some research here guys https://t.co/WpDck1qban
— Antonio (@TheAntOrtiz) July 21, 2023
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/8zwSUuPVuc
— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) July 21, 2023
— Stacey with an e (@StaceGots) July 21, 2023
A good rule of sports commentary is that if you are paid a lot of money to do it, you should learn the rules of the sport you are commenting on.
The great broadcaster Chick Hearn once said the first thing he did when asked to announce an unfamiliar sport was read the rulebook. https://t.co/3XGKf7mzlw
— Dilan Esper (@dilanesper) July 21, 2023
So embarrassing. https://t.co/6kyk1fsjRP
— Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) July 21, 2023
Embarrassing! https://t.co/5qdC91filo
— Anthony Strong (@TonyStrong631) July 21, 2023
LeBatard was right – debate culture KILLED sports talk. https://t.co/2EC9kA6q7n
— With EVERYBODY Sayin' – C! J! Writes! YEAH! (@CJWritesNThangs) July 21, 2023
https://twitter.com/chifanpatt2/status/1682518682889535490
